Clocks including Westminster or other chime and strike programs are known in the prior art. Such clocks utilize a plurality of tone bars and a number of strikers which may be either mechanically or electrically actuated at the desired time interval to generate the particular program indicative of the interval. Chimes of the described type have tone qualities which are quite good and a sound which is pleasing. These features in part enhance the appeal of the clock with which the strike and chime program is a part. One disadvantage, however, is with regard to the lack of wide-spread commercial appeal to all segments of the consuming public primarily because of the higher cost of the clock with chime capability. This is because the costs of mechanical structures are increasing at a rapid rate.
Therefore, there has been the thought and attempts have been made to the end of producing an electronic alarm signal having tone qualities similar to a chime or bell. Representative of such an alarm is the form of alarm employing a chime alarm including an oscillator energized by a source through closure of a switch at a desired alarm time. Very generally, in this type of structure the sound is generated by the oscillation of a vibrating reed within the chime alarm, which oscillations are transduced, amplified and reproduced.